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Spring Drive AND moon phase!

For the past few months ago that I’ve been feeling a moon phase itch, and I set about looking at the usual (and not so usual) suspects without a great deal of success. More recently I’ve become quite interested in the Spring Drive technology launched by Seiko a few years ago now. Accordingly, when presented with an opportunity to try a Spring Drive that at the same time provided a modern take on the moon phase complication, it was too tempting to ignore. This morning, then, a LNIB Seiko Spring Drive Moon Phase SNR017J1 arrived in the post.

The watch absolutely oozes quality (and it should, bearing in mind that it retails at not far short of £4000). The dial is mesmerising, with both power reserve and moon phase complications in addition to the usual impeccably applied incides and perfectly crafted hands. The moon phase is the real item of interest, of course, and aside from the ultra-modern design the contrasting finishes of each element are quite beautiful. It’s quite chunky at 42.3mm but wears much smaller than I expected, and fits easily under a cuff. All in all it’s the most striking watch I’ve ever worn and one that I see myself hanging on to for the long term.